Stacking The Deck with The Nectars


Stacking The Deck is a feature exclusive to Adam’s World where I bring packs of 1991 Pro Set Superstars MusiCards to artists, and we discuss who they find in each pack.

With their debut album, Sci-Fi Television, due out June 1st, and the band currently on tour in the UK, The Nectars are poised to take the world by storm.

Over the past year the New Jersey-based rockers have developed an impressive buzz throughout both their home state, and NYC, tearing the roof of some of the area’s most prominent indie music venues. Now, with everything aligned perfectly for the foursome of Mike Montalbano, Jessica Kenny, Jon Paul, and Mike Baron (pictured L to R), it won’t be long before music fans everywhere know that when it comes to rock music, The Nectars are freakin’ sweet.


I caught up with The Nectars at a coffee shop in NYC to open up some packs of MusiCards, and the artists we found sparked conversations about first concert memories, classic rock inspirations, and water park hijinks.



KISS

We have to start with KISS, because when we were going through the cards Baron mentioned KISS was his first concert.

Baron: (I was) 8, or 10. I went with my neighbor. His parents would go to A.C. (Atlantic City) all the time, so they had like comped tickets to all that shit.

Jon: Atlantic City, so the most corporate, money grabbing, worst ’90s version of the band.

Baron: Pretty fuckin hilarious. Poison was there, too.

What do you remember from being a 10 year old at a KISS / Poison concert?

Baron: I just saw a bunch of people dressed up looking fucking ridiculous, and I saw some titties.

At 10? Alright! At what point did you tell your family that’s what happened at the concert?

Baron: I didn’t tell them.

This will be the first time they find out?

Baron: I guess so.

Jon: Uh oh.

This is how we break news. This is how we make Thanksgiving interesting.

Jon: I gotta say, my best friend, Tom, in Florida, he loves KISS, and he’s got all these collectibles from the ‘80s, like the KISS dolls, and I always thought it was lame as fuck.

We’re ruining families and friendships today.

Jon: Tom knows. I always give him shit for it. What do you do with these fucking dolls, dog?

But if you had actions figures made of The Nectars you’d be stoked, right?

Jon: That’d be cool. I could see a Jess one.

Jessica: That’d be weird. That’d be really weird. {laughs}

Which action figures, or toys, were in your past?

Jessica: I used to have Polly Pocket when I was little.

Jon: LEGO. That was my imaginative type thing.

Mike M: I guess I was into Hess trucks.



Jefferson Airplane

Jessica: I love them, and their song “White Rabbit,” that’s like the staple song in my career. I think I’ve performed that song more than any song ever in life.

When was the first time you performed it?

Jessica: I was probably like 13.

Did you have any idea what it was about?

Jessica: Yes. {laughs} I did. I’ve always been into Alice in Wonderland, so I knew what it was about.

So at 13, was it like a school talent show, and you were like, “I’m doing this giant drug reference song”?

Jessica: No, I went to a music school, like an after school program, where we did rock music, and this was one of the songs. I ended up doing it, and it stuck through my life.



The Doors

Jon: First off, Jim Morrison was born in Florida, I was born in Florida, so that’s pretty cool.

They have so much good music. He’s an enigmatic type of guy. I’ve always looked up to him as a musician.

He’s like the cool drug guy. Without having to say anything he stumbles up on stage, shakes his shit. I’m sure he was smoking tons of weed back then. He was very poetic.

Would you consider them an inspiration?

Jon Paul: Definitely. It’s not direct, but as far as classic rock goes they’re one of the cooler bands.

What other classic rock bands do you keep in heavy rotation?

Jon: Led Zeppelin is huge, we love them.

Jessica: Yes. Yes is one of my biggest inspirations.

Jon: They’re amazing. Also, Velvet Underground.



Santana

Who has the biggest Santana influence?

Baron: I listened to him when I was growing up. He’s cool. Great psych, blues, music.

He has cool note choices, like pentatonic scales in different places than normal.

The real question is when will we hear you do a cover of “Smooth”?

Jon: Those songs were the last of the big money makers.

Staying on the topic of epic collaborations, who would you like to collaborate with?

Mike M: Julian Casablanca (of The Strokes).

Jon: A lot of hip-hop people. Young Thug would be cool. Vince Staples would be cool.

Mike M: Steve Albini.

Jon: Damon Albarn from The Gorillaz.

Mike M: Mark Foster (of Foster the People).



D.A.D.

D.A.D. stands for Disneyland After Dark. I bring this card up because before the interview we were having a conversation, and Jon, you mentioned enjoying a theme park as a grown up that maybe wasn’t meant for grown ups?

Jon: Oh yeah, the water park. I went to this water park with my girlfriend, I guess it was the Six Flags Lake George, and we smoked out the hotel room, as usual, but that’s like any place we go as a band.

Mike M: It’s pretty rare if the fire alarms don’t go off.

Are there pictures of a log ride where it’s you two and a whole bunch of kids?

Jon: Probably. Somewhere that exists.

So is it a good time to go to an amusement park as an adult?

Jon: Of course.

Mike M: Absolutely.

Jessica: Not for me. You won’t catch me doing that. I hate it. I hate water parks, and I hate amusement parks.

Baron: Why?

Jessica: Cuz it’s so scary. Remember, we tried to go to the amusement park.

Baron: Yeah, but I just threw up all the time.

Jessica: We had the most dreadful time ever. It was terrible.

Jon: But you’re trying to tell me, Disney …

Jessica: Maybe Disney, but water rides, and stuff, with chlorine, and pee …

Jon: They call it the happiest place on earth.

Jessica: I wasn’t a big fan of it. There were too many people.

I liked Universal. I liked that Mummy ride. That was cool. And Harry Potter. I liked the Harry Potter thing. That was cool.

Jon: Oh my God, that’s the worst of all of them.

Jessica: {laughs} Whatever.


Jon: Me and Mikey are huge Disney fans. We have taken a lot of trips down there, every summer for the last few years.

Mike M: And in-between.

Being that you grew up there I’m guessing it’s pretty much part of your childhood culture.

Jon: Yeah, definitely.

Jess, though, you’re totally anti theme park?

Jessica: They’re not for me, especially water parks. Hate them.

Jon: We’ll go on Tower of Terror soon.

Jessica: Stop. Don’t. I already did that once.

What is that? A huge drop?

Mike M: It’s an elevator.

Jessica: In the dark. It’s pitch black. I don’t belong on there.

Jon: It’s scary as shit. I loved it.

Jessica: Never again.

Jon: Rock ’N’ Roller Coaster?

Jessica: OK, that was lit. I’ll admit that was lit. I forgot about that.That was cool.

I think your stance on theme parks is slowly being turned around.

Jessica: I mean, I’d go with you guys, that’d be fun, but I wouldn’t go on a water slide.

Baron: We’ll just get you to the top and push you down.

Jessica: No, you guys tried to pull that shit one time on the diving board. It was so fucked up. It was not OK, and you’ll actually see it in our next music video.

Jon: In our new music video we push Jess off a diving board.

Jessica: They tricked me.


For more of The Nectars, check out thenectarsmusic.com, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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